


Don't Listen to a Word I Say

by tinybox



Series: unreality_strikes_back.exe [16]
Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)
Genre: Childhood Friends, Deja Vu, False Memories, Secret Crush, Video Game Mechanics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 12:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22849990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinybox/pseuds/tinybox
Summary: As preparations for the festival begin in earnest, Kaito's concern for Sayori's well-being grows and grows.
Series: unreality_strikes_back.exe [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619047
Kudos: 4





	Don't Listen to a Word I Say

_I know Sayori told me not to worry about her, and to have fun with everyone else...but that's impossible to do when she's behaving like this._

_...There's nothing I can do but wait for Monika._

***Save**

"Hey, you," Natsuki suddenly says, "are you just gonna sit there and keep staring at nothing?"

When I look up, I see that she's standing right next to me.

I startle a little. "Eh?"

Natuski lets out an annoyed huff. "There isn't much time, you know..." she says grumpily. 

I can't help but smile at her. "Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry or anything."

Natsuki flushes. "I-It's not that I'm worried I was just..."

Trailing off, Natsuki looks down at her side, where a volume of manga is clutched in her right hand.

"I guess I was distracted," I admit. "Don't worry, I won't make you wait any longer."

"Jeez..." Natsuki mutters, "now you're making me feel like a jerk. If something's bothering you, then you can just tell me to leave you alone, and I will."

Uncertainly, she mumbles, "I mean...assuming you didn't feel like talking about it or anything..."

"...I'm probably making this seem like a bigger deal than it actually is, but...it's just that Sayori seems really down today. Normally, I'd think it was a one-off thing, but she was like this yesterday, too. And she won't tell me what's wrong, either. I'm really worried that something happened to her...but I don't want to overreact if it turns out not to be a big deal."

"I mean, you're her best friend, right?"

"Yeah, I would say so."

"Then, in that case, you should trust her a little more. If she needed you, you would be the first person she would go to, right?"

"Well...I guess that's true."

"I mean, everyone has a bad day once in a while. You can't avoid 'em forever. If anything, she probably doesn't want you to worry about it because it's not important."

"She did say something like that to me....so it probably isn't right for me to try and butt in when I'm not needed."

"Exactly. If she needs you to worry about her, then it'll be more obvious."

"Yeah...I should have thought of it that way from the start."

Turning the book over in her hands, Natsuki comments, "She really means a lot to you...doesn't she?"

My face is starting to warm. "D-Don't get the wrong idea or anything...! We've just been friends for a long time...and seeing her like this is unusual. Maybe I'm worrying too much, but...then again, I suppose worrying about your friends is normal. I mean, you were worried about me, so-"

"I was not!!" Natsuki scoffs, her face starting to flush pink. "Jeez...if you're fine, then let's hurry and get started already!"

After some time passes, Monika calls out, "Okay, everyone! Why don't we share our poems now?"

Ẅ̷̩̘̹̖̦̫͚͉̯͎̮̙̰͉͆̐͂̎͠ȟ̵͇̬͚̞̲̟̱̩̻̙̭͚̠̣̫̇̄̌̋̈̐͊̄̚͘͝ǒ̸͚̰̮̼͉̟̥̼͖̝͒͝ ̴̩͓̹̠̰̪͚̟̜̏̎̍̐̓͗̔̓͋̉̿͜͠s̶̛̮̫̘͇̹̜̳̥̞̝͌̅̎͋͝͝h̸͎̠͍̐̅̎̽̈́̆̃́̊͠ǒ̶̘̦̆̂͌̽̑̓u̴̡̨͈̩̥̗͔͔̻̭͙̜̤͎̎̇͑̔̽͌̿͜͝l̸̡̢̧̻̫̖̩͕̭͉̳̙̮͙͐̇̑̾͠ͅd̴̫̻̫̲̹̟̘̠ ̵̛͓̙̳͎̬͚̰̰̼̯͉̬͒͂͒̊̀̇̐͐̓̚͝I̵̢̢͔̙̟̝͇̻͆̉͛̇̉̓̔̐̅̂̇̄̚͝ ̶̥͎̃̔̈́͑̆s̵͍̘̙̼̓͒̇͑̀̌̊͝ḩ̶̡̼͈̳̬̱͎̯̔̑̾̈̋͂̓͒͒̉͌̉̚͝ͅo̸̟͈͓̫̫̓̈́̀w̷̛̗͇̗̭̓̽̑ ̸͈̫̦̻̮̺͔͋̔͜m̷̡͍͓̻̱͍̮̫̪͕͕͉̙̪̜̀̓̊͐͊͂y̸̳͇̰͖͇̫̩̅͊̍̋̈́̓̆̅̀͛̽̿̀̕͝ͅ ̸̼͙͎͍̼̈̆̋́̈́̐̍͒̄̚͠͝͝ͅp̸̳̖͔̫̲̙̣͖̦̙̗̂͋̐̓̐ơ̶͙̮͙͚̩̖͚̗̲̱̺̗̦̝͉̅̐͆̒̂̈́̈́̈́͗̕̕͝ể̵͔̗͎̯̙͙͈͇̖̘̬̬͈͠m̴̱̕ ̶̢̫͆̀̑̔͊̐̎͛̒͑͂̏t̴̢̢̝̟͕͈̲̃͛͐͋̎̉͐̂̅͆̑ợ̶̤̰̪̥͚̯̜̤̲̞̳̘͚̈́̑͆̈́̈́̍̐͋̕͘̕̕͠ ̸̡̩̪̩̭̝̪͖̝̗̞̹̲̓̐̾̆̈̋̍̑̑͋͘f̷̳̹͗i̵̲̼̬̝̼̓̾͊͑̏̇̈́ͅŗ̸̛̝͔̭̪̼̪͉̤̮̫̣̤̿̽͂͛̚ͅs̷̖͕̥̳̺̪̦̣͖̹̙̓̒̒̏̄̀̄̆̽͜͠t̵̢̡̧̘͇̞͓͓̤̳̪̯̝͉̔̽̐̆ͅ?̸̡̧̛̮͚͍̈́̉̓͊̀͑̉͆̍͌͝

Ş̶̱͈͓͇̣͓̗̆̐̾̽̊͘͝a̴̧̛̦͚̣̜̻̎̃̂̄͐̓͑́̉̕y̶̗͓̖̌̍̍ô̷̡̜͈̭͇̖͒́͑̂͐͛͆̃ŕ̶̜̭̜̫͕̬͍̥̌̊̐̃͠į̴̣̲̭̦̬̼͖̹̱̣̲͖͔̩̏

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Y̵̭̳̬̞̻̬̝͈̯͔͐̿̃̎̌̄̐̈́̐͂̃͠ͅͅu̸̢̡̡͓̜̝̗̞̣̘̳̻͑͐̎̅͜r̴̨͇̤̠͇̃̀̋͑̈́̾̉̑̉̑̋͊̕͝i̴̺̳̻̍

M̶̧̩̝̹̊o̸̧̟̫̺̱̤̭͈̱͒̀͊̎̌̎̚ͅņ̶͈̙̩̃͑́̀͗̈́̑͝͝i̷̡̨̹̩͇̓̇k̸͙̗̝̹̫͖͇̫͖̬͇̪͈̻̆͆̈́̇͒̌̚̚͘ã̸̡̺̦͖̳͚͓̹̗̺̄̌̏̂͐̑͜͠ͅͅ

As Sayori reads my poem, she almost looks like she's about to start crying. After finishing, Sayori looks up at me with a sad smile.

"...This is your best one so far. It's really really nice, Kaito."

"Thanks, Sayori!"

Sayori hums a little under her breath. 

I wait for her to continue talking, but she doesn't seem to want to say anything more- yet another sign that something's bothering Sayori. 

I can't keep quiet any longer. "Sayori, you've been a little quiet today. Are you...is everything alright?"

"E-Eh? Of course!" Sayori insists with a forced smile. "Everything is fine. Maybe I'm just a little bit tired today."

Sayori giggles nervously, avoiding my gaze. 

"...If you want, we can go home early together. I'm sure Monika will understand. We can hang out at my place if you want, and I'll even make us some pancakes straight from the box. You still like chocolate chips in yours, right? I think there's a half empty packet of chocolate chips in the cupboard somewhere-"

"No, that's okay," Sayori interrupts. "Don't worry about me, okay? I only want to see smiles on your face."

I pull the goofiest face I can muster. "This good?"

Sayori giggles a little, before falling silent. "Hey, Kaito...I'm still a little surprised. I really thought you would try writing poems the way Yuri does...or even Natsuki...but in the end..."

"...Yeah. I guess you're the one who likes these poems the most. Then again, it _is_ one of the Best Friend Laws that-"

"Why?" Sayori interrupts. "You don't want to get closer with everyone else?"

"It's not that I don't want to make friends with the other club members...they're pretty cool people!" I assure her. "But...if I had only one choice of a friend in here, I'd chose you every single time. I mean...I know we don't always get along, and we can get on each other's nerves sometimes. And in many ways, we're very different from each other. But I think we both share the same wavelength or something like that."

I'm spilling things I've never really told Sayori before, stuff I'd been too embarrassed to say. 

I probably should stop before this gets weird, but it's like I can't stop talking.

"When I write poems, I find myself trying to see the world through your eyes. Because you make my life exciting, and whenever you're around, the world is just a little bit brighter than it was before...Sayori?"

I stop short, because Sayori is only shrinking into herself even more. "Kaito...I don't...deserve this..." 

She's blinking fast, as though trying to stop herself from crying in front of me. "You're too nice to me," she says in a half-whisper. "Why are you doing this...?"

Her voice is getting more and more unsteady. 

"If you had more fun with everyone else instead...this would be...so much easier!"

"Sayori? You don't need to be happy all the time. If you were, that would be unrealistic...and kind of creepy, to be honest. Look, I've probably never said this before, but I don't understand what you're feeling right now. Tell me what will cheer you up, and I'll do it."

Sayori shakes her head over and over again, sniffling a little bit. 

Finally, she gathers herself together and puts on another smile. "It's nothing, Kaito. It's just a little rain cloud. I'm sorry you had to see this. I promise it won't happen again. Just smiles from everyone, okay? That's all that matters."

"Sayori, that's not what I-"

"Go play with everyone else. I'm gonna go home a little bit earlier today."

"Sayori-"

"Tell Monika I wasn't feeling well, okay?"

"Wait, I can-"

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Before I can say anything else, Sayori walks out of the classroom, humming a cheerful tune. 

Sayori...

Ẅ̷̩̘̹̖̦̫͚͉̯͎̮̙̰͉͆̐͂̎͠ȟ̵͇̬͚̞̲̟̱̩̻̙̭͚̠̣̫̇̄̌̋̈̐͊̄̚͘͝ǒ̸͚̰̮̼͉̟̥̼͖̝͒͝ ̴̩͓̹̠̰̪͚̟̜̏̎̍̐̓͗̔̓͋̉̿͜͠s̶̛̮̫̘͇̹̜̳̥̞̝͌̅̎͋͝͝h̸͎̠͍̐̅̎̽̈́̆̃́̊͠ǒ̶̘̦̆̂͌̽̑̓u̴̡̨͈̩̥̗͔͔̻̭͙̜̤͎̎̇͑̔̽͌̿͜͝l̸̡̢̧̻̫̖̩͕̭͉̳̙̮͙͐̇̑̾͠ͅd̴̫̻̫̲̹̟̘̠ ̵̛͓̙̳͎̬͚̰̰̼̯͉̬͒͂͒̊̀̇̐͐̓̚͝I̵̢̢͔̙̟̝͇̻͆̉͛̇̉̓̔̐̅̂̇̄̚͝ ̶̥͎̃̔̈́͑̆s̵͍̘̙̼̓͒̇͑̀̌̊͝ḩ̶̡̼͈̳̬̱͎̯̔̑̾̈̋͂̓͒͒̉͌̉̚͝ͅo̸̟͈͓̫̫̓̈́̀w̷̛̗͇̗̭̓̽̑ ̸͈̫̦̻̮̺͔͋̔͜m̷̡͍͓̻̱͍̮̫̪͕͕͉̙̪̜̀̓̊͐͊͂y̸̳͇̰͖͇̫̩̅͊̍̋̈́̓̆̅̀͛̽̿̀̕͝ͅ ̸̼͙͎͍̼̈̆̋́̈́̐̍͒̄̚͠͝͝ͅp̸̳̖͔̫̲̙̣͖̦̙̗̂͋̐̓̐ơ̶͙̮͙͚̩̖͚̗̲̱̺̗̦̝͉̅̐͆̒̂̈́̈́̈́͗̕̕͝ể̵͔̗͎̯̙͙͈͇̖̘̬̬͈͠m̴̱̕ ̶̢̫͆̀̑̔͊̐̎͛̒͑͂̏t̴̢̢̝̟͕͈̲̃͛͐͋̎̉͐̂̅͆̑ợ̶̤̰̪̥͚̯̜̤̲̞̳̘͚̈́̑͆̈́̈́̍̐͋̕͘̕̕͠ ̸̡̩̪̩̭̝̪͖̝̗̞̹̲̓̐̾̆̈̋̍̑̑͋͘f̷̳̹͗i̵̲̼̬̝̼̓̾͊͑̏̇̈́ͅŗ̸̛̝͔̭̪̼̪͉̤̮̫̣̤̿̽͂͛̚ͅs̷̖͕̥̳̺̪̦̣͖̹̙̓̒̒̏̄̀̄̆̽͜͠t̵̢̡̧̘͇̞͓͓̤̳̪̯̝͉̔̽̐̆ͅ?̸̡̧̛̮͚͍̈́̉̓͊̀͑̉͆̍͌͝

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Y̵̭̳̬̞̻̬̝͈̯͔͐̿̃̎̌̄̐̈́̐͂̃͠ͅͅu̸̢̡̡͓̜̝̗̞̣̘̳̻͑͐̎̅͜r̴̨͇̤̠͇̃̀̋͑̈́̾̉̑̉̑̋͊̕͝i̴̺̳̻̍

M̶̧̩̝̹̊o̸̧̟̫̺̱̤̭͈̱͒̀͊̎̌̎̚ͅņ̶͈̙̩̃͑́̀͗̈́̑͝͝i̷̡̨̹̩͇̓̇k̸͙̗̝̹̫͖͇̫͖̬͇̪͈̻̆͆̈́̇͒̌̚̚͘ã̸̡̺̦͖̳͚͓̹̗̺̄̌̏̂͐̑͜͠ͅͅ

I should follow her. 

Ẅ̷̩̘̹̖̦̫͚͉̯͎̮̙̰͉͆̐͂̎͠ȟ̵͇̬͚̞̲̟̱̩̻̙̭͚̠̣̫̇̄̌̋̈̐͊̄̚͘͝ǒ̸͚̰̮̼͉̟̥̼͖̝͒͝ ̴̩͓̹̠̰̪͚̟̜̏̎̍̐̓͗̔̓͋̉̿͜͠s̶̛̮̫̘͇̹̜̳̥̞̝͌̅̎͋͝͝h̸͎̠͍̐̅̎̽̈́̆̃́̊͠ǒ̶̘̦̆̂͌̽̑̓u̴̡̨͈̩̥̗͔͔̻̭͙̜̤͎̎̇͑̔̽͌̿͜͝l̸̡̢̧̻̫̖̩͕̭͉̳̙̮͙͐̇̑̾͠ͅd̴̫̻̫̲̹̟̘̠ ̵̛͓̙̳͎̬͚̰̰̼̯͉̬͒͂͒̊̀̇̐͐̓̚͝I̵̢̢͔̙̟̝͇̻͆̉͛̇̉̓̔̐̅̂̇̄̚͝ ̶̥͎̃̔̈́͑̆s̵͍̘̙̼̓͒̇͑̀̌̊͝ḩ̶̡̼͈̳̬̱͎̯̔̑̾̈̋͂̓͒͒̉͌̉̚͝ͅo̸̟͈͓̫̫̓̈́̀w̷̛̗͇̗̭̓̽̑ ̸͈̫̦̻̮̺͔͋̔͜m̷̡͍͓̻̱͍̮̫̪͕͕͉̙̪̜̀̓̊͐͊͂y̸̳͇̰͖͇̫̩̅͊̍̋̈́̓̆̅̀͛̽̿̀̕͝ͅ ̸̼͙͎͍̼̈̆̋́̈́̐̍͒̄̚͠͝͝ͅp̸̳̖͔̫̲̙̣͖̦̙̗̂͋̐̓̐ơ̶͙̮͙͚̩̖͚̗̲̱̺̗̦̝͉̅̐͆̒̂̈́̈́̈́͗̕̕͝ể̵͔̗͎̯̙͙͈͇̖̘̬̬͈͠m̴̱̕ ̶̢̫͆̀̑̔͊̐̎͛̒͑͂̏t̴̢̢̝̟͕͈̲̃͛͐͋̎̉͐̂̅͆̑ợ̶̤̰̪̥͚̯̜̤̲̞̳̘͚̈́̑͆̈́̈́̍̐͋̕͘̕̕͠ ̸̡̩̪̩̭̝̪͖̝̗̞̹̲̓̐̾̆̈̋̍̑̑͋͘f̷̳̹͗i̵̲̼̬̝̼̓̾͊͑̏̇̈́ͅŗ̸̛̝͔̭̪̼̪͉̤̮̫̣̤̿̽͂͛̚ͅs̷̖͕̥̳̺̪̦̣͖̹̙̓̒̒̏̄̀̄̆̽͜͠t̵̢̡̧̘͇̞͓͓̤̳̪̯̝͉̔̽̐̆ͅ?̸̡̧̛̮͚͍̈́̉̓͊̀͑̉͆̍͌͝

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Y̵̭̳̬̞̻̬̝͈̯͔͐̿̃̎̌̄̐̈́̐͂̃͠ͅͅu̸̢̡̡͓̜̝̗̞̣̘̳̻͑͐̎̅͜r̴̨͇̤̠͇̃̀̋͑̈́̾̉̑̉̑̋͊̕͝i̴̺̳̻̍

M̶̧̩̝̹̊o̸̧̟̫̺̱̤̭͈̱͒̀͊̎̌̎̚ͅņ̶͈̙̩̃͑́̀͗̈́̑͝͝i̷̡̨̹̩͇̓̇k̸͙̗̝̹̫͖͇̫͖̬͇̪͈̻̆͆̈́̇͒̌̚̚͘ã̸̡̺̦͖̳͚͓̹̗̺̄̌̏̂͐̑͜͠ͅͅ

Sayori's more important than this club.

Ẅ̷̩̘̹̖̦̫͚͉̯͎̮̙̰͉͆̐͂̎͠ȟ̵͇̬͚̞̲̟̱̩̻̙̭͚̠̣̫̇̄̌̋̈̐͊̄̚͘͝ǒ̸͚̰̮̼͉̟̥̼͖̝͒͝ ̴̩͓̹̠̰̪͚̟̜̏̎̍̐̓͗̔̓͋̉̿͜͠s̶̛̮̫̘͇̹̜̳̥̞̝͌̅̎͋͝͝h̸͎̠͍̐̅̎̽̈́̆̃́̊͠ǒ̶̘̦̆̂͌̽̑̓u̴̡̨͈̩̥̗͔͔̻̭͙̜̤͎̎̇͑̔̽͌̿͜͝l̸̡̢̧̻̫̖̩͕̭͉̳̙̮͙͐̇̑̾͠ͅd̴̫̻̫̲̹̟̘̠ ̵̛͓̙̳͎̬͚̰̰̼̯͉̬͒͂͒̊̀̇̐͐̓̚͝I̵̢̢͔̙̟̝͇̻͆̉͛̇̉̓̔̐̅̂̇̄̚͝ ̶̥͎̃̔̈́͑̆s̵͍̘̙̼̓͒̇͑̀̌̊͝ḩ̶̡̼͈̳̬̱͎̯̔̑̾̈̋͂̓͒͒̉͌̉̚͝ͅo̸̟͈͓̫̫̓̈́̀w̷̛̗͇̗̭̓̽̑ ̸͈̫̦̻̮̺͔͋̔͜m̷̡͍͓̻̱͍̮̫̪͕͕͉̙̪̜̀̓̊͐͊͂y̸̳͇̰͖͇̫̩̅͊̍̋̈́̓̆̅̀͛̽̿̀̕͝ͅ ̸̼͙͎͍̼̈̆̋́̈́̐̍͒̄̚͠͝͝ͅp̸̳̖͔̫̲̙̣͖̦̙̗̂͋̐̓̐ơ̶͙̮͙͚̩̖͚̗̲̱̺̗̦̝͉̅̐͆̒̂̈́̈́̈́͗̕̕͝ể̵͔̗͎̯̙͙͈͇̖̘̬̬͈͠m̴̱̕ ̶̢̫͆̀̑̔͊̐̎͛̒͑͂̏t̴̢̢̝̟͕͈̲̃͛͐͋̎̉͐̂̅͆̑ợ̶̤̰̪̥͚̯̜̤̲̞̳̘͚̈́̑͆̈́̈́̍̐͋̕͘̕̕͠ ̸̡̩̪̩̭̝̪͖̝̗̞̹̲̓̐̾̆̈̋̍̑̑͋͘f̷̳̹͗i̵̲̼̬̝̼̓̾͊͑̏̇̈́ͅŗ̸̛̝͔̭̪̼̪͉̤̮̫̣̤̿̽͂͛̚ͅs̷̖͕̥̳̺̪̦̣͖̹̙̓̒̒̏̄̀̄̆̽͜͠t̵̢̡̧̘͇̞͓͓̤̳̪̯̝͉̔̽̐̆ͅ?̸̡̧̛̮͚͍̈́̉̓͊̀͑̉͆̍͌͝

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Y̵̭̳̬̞̻̬̝͈̯͔͐̿̃̎̌̄̐̈́̐͂̃͠ͅͅu̸̢̡̡͓̜̝̗̞̣̘̳̻͑͐̎̅͜r̴̨͇̤̠͇̃̀̋͑̈́̾̉̑̉̑̋͊̕͝i̴̺̳̻̍

M̶̧̩̝̹̊o̸̧̟̫̺̱̤̭͈̱͒̀͊̎̌̎̚ͅņ̶͈̙̩̃͑́̀͗̈́̑͝͝i̷̡̨̹̩͇̓̇k̸͙̗̝̹̫͖͇̫͖̬͇̪͈̻̆͆̈́̇͒̌̚̚͘ã̸̡̺̦͖̳͚͓̹̗̺̄̌̏̂͐̑͜͠ͅͅ

Ẅ̷̩̘̹̖̦̫͚͉̯͎̮̙̰͉͆̐͂̎͠ȟ̵͇̬͚̞̲̟̱̩̻̙̭͚̠̣̫̇̄̌̋̈̐͊̄̚͘͝ǒ̸͚̰̮̼͉̟̥̼͖̝͒͝ ̴̩͓̹̠̰̪͚̟̜̏̎̍̐̓͗̔̓͋̉̿͜͠s̶̛̮̫̘͇̹̜̳̥̞̝͌̅̎͋͝͝h̸͎̠͍̐̅̎̽̈́̆̃́̊͠ǒ̶̘̦̆̂͌̽̑̓u̴̡̨͈̩̥̗͔͔̻̭͙̜̤͎̎̇͑̔̽͌̿͜͝l̸̡̢̧̻̫̖̩͕̭͉̳̙̮͙͐̇̑̾͠ͅd̴̫̻̫̲̹̟̘̠ ̵̛͓̙̳͎̬͚̰̰̼̯͉̬͒͂͒̊̀̇̐͐̓̚͝I̵̢̢͔̙̟̝͇̻͆̉͛̇̉̓̔̐̅̂̇̄̚͝ ̶̥͎̃̔̈́͑̆s̵͍̘̙̼̓͒̇͑̀̌̊͝ḩ̶̡̼͈̳̬̱͎̯̔̑̾̈̋͂̓͒͒̉͌̉̚͝ͅo̸̟͈͓̫̫̓̈́̀w̷̛̗͇̗̭̓̽̑ ̸͈̫̦̻̮̺͔͋̔͜m̷̡͍͓̻̱͍̮̫̪͕͕͉̙̪̜̀̓̊͐͊͂y̸̳͇̰͖͇̫̩̅͊̍̋̈́̓̆̅̀͛̽̿̀̕͝ͅ ̸̼͙͎͍̼̈̆̋́̈́̐̍͒̄̚͠͝͝ͅp̸̳̖͔̫̲̙̣͖̦̙̗̂͋̐̓̐ơ̶͙̮͙͚̩̖͚̗̲̱̺̗̦̝͉̅̐͆̒̂̈́̈́̈́͗̕̕͝ể̵͔̗͎̯̙͙͈͇̖̘̬̬͈͠m̴̱̕ ̶̢̫͆̀̑̔͊̐̎͛̒͑͂̏t̴̢̢̝̟͕͈̲̃͛͐͋̎̉͐̂̅͆̑ợ̶̤̰̪̥͚̯̜̤̲̞̳̘͚̈́̑͆̈́̈́̍̐͋̕͘̕̕͠ ̸̡̩̪̩̭̝̪͖̝̗̞̹̲̓̐̾̆̈̋̍̑̑͋͘f̷̳̹͗i̵̲̼̬̝̼̓̾͊͑̏̇̈́ͅŗ̸̛̝͔̭̪̼̪͉̤̮̫̣̤̿̽͂͛̚ͅs̷̖͕̥̳̺̪̦̣͖̹̙̓̒̒̏̄̀̄̆̽͜͠t̵̢̡̧̘͇̞͓͓̤̳̪̯̝͉̔̽̐̆ͅ?̸̡̧̛̮͚͍̈́̉̓͊̀͑̉͆̍͌͝

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Y̵̭̳̬̞̻̬̝͈̯͔͐̿̃̎̌̄̐̈́̐͂̃͠ͅͅu̸̢̡̡͓̜̝̗̞̣̘̳̻͑͐̎̅͜r̴̨͇̤̠͇̃̀̋͑̈́̾̉̑̉̑̋͊̕͝i̴̺̳̻̍

M̶̧̩̝̹̊o̸̧̟̫̺̱̤̭͈̱͒̀͊̎̌̎̚ͅņ̶͈̙̩̃͑́̀͗̈́̑͝͝i̷̡̨̹̩͇̓̇k̸͙̗̝̹̫͖͇̫͖̬͇̪͈̻̆͆̈́̇͒̌̚̚͘ã̸̡̺̦͖̳͚͓̹̗̺̄̌̏̂͐̑͜͠ͅͅ

Ẅ̷̩̘̹̖̦̫͚͉̯͎̮̙̰͉͆̐͂̎͠ȟ̵͇̬͚̞̲̟̱̩̻̙̭͚̠̣̫̇̄̌̋̈̐͊̄̚͘͝ǒ̸͚̰̮̼͉̟̥̼͖̝͒͝ ̴̩͓̹̠̰̪͚̟̜̏̎̍̐̓͗̔̓͋̉̿͜͠s̶̛̮̫̘͇̹̜̳̥̞̝͌̅̎͋͝͝h̸͎̠͍̐̅̎̽̈́̆̃́̊͠ǒ̶̘̦̆̂͌̽̑̓u̴̡̨͈̩̥̗͔͔̻̭͙̜̤͎̎̇͑̔̽͌̿͜͝l̸̡̢̧̻̫̖̩͕̭͉̳̙̮͙͐̇̑̾͠ͅd̴̫̻̫̲̹̟̘̠ ̵̛͓̙̳͎̬͚̰̰̼̯͉̬͒͂͒̊̀̇̐͐̓̚͝I̵̢̢͔̙̟̝͇̻͆̉͛̇̉̓̔̐̅̂̇̄̚͝ ̶̥͎̃̔̈́͑̆s̵͍̘̙̼̓͒̇͑̀̌̊͝ḩ̶̡̼͈̳̬̱͎̯̔̑̾̈̋͂̓͒͒̉͌̉̚͝ͅo̸̟͈͓̫̫̓̈́̀w̷̛̗͇̗̭̓̽̑ ̸͈̫̦̻̮̺͔͋̔͜m̷̡͍͓̻̱͍̮̫̪͕͕͉̙̪̜̀̓̊͐͊͂y̸̳͇̰͖͇̫̩̅͊̍̋̈́̓̆̅̀͛̽̿̀̕͝ͅ ̸̼͙͎͍̼̈̆̋́̈́̐̍͒̄̚͠͝͝ͅp̸̳̖͔̫̲̙̣͖̦̙̗̂͋̐̓̐ơ̶͙̮͙͚̩̖͚̗̲̱̺̗̦̝͉̅̐͆̒̂̈́̈́̈́͗̕̕͝ể̵͔̗͎̯̙͙͈͇̖̘̬̬͈͠m̴̱̕ ̶̢̫͆̀̑̔͊̐̎͛̒͑͂̏t̴̢̢̝̟͕͈̲̃͛͐͋̎̉͐̂̅͆̑ợ̶̤̰̪̥͚̯̜̤̲̞̳̘͚̈́̑͆̈́̈́̍̐͋̕͘̕̕͠ ̸̡̩̪̩̭̝̪͖̝̗̞̹̲̓̐̾̆̈̋̍̑̑͋͘f̷̳̹͗i̵̲̼̬̝̼̓̾͊͑̏̇̈́ͅŗ̸̛̝͔̭̪̼̪͉̤̮̫̣̤̿̽͂͛̚ͅs̷̖͕̥̳̺̪̦̣͖̹̙̓̒̒̏̄̀̄̆̽͜͠t̵̢̡̧̘͇̞͓͓̤̳̪̯̝͉̔̽̐̆ͅ?̸̡̧̛̮͚͍̈́̉̓͊̀͑̉͆̍͌͝

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Y̵̭̳̬̞̻̬̝͈̯͔͐̿̃̎̌̄̐̈́̐͂̃͠ͅͅu̸̢̡̡͓̜̝̗̞̣̘̳̻͑͐̎̅͜r̴̨͇̤̠͇̃̀̋͑̈́̾̉̑̉̑̋͊̕͝i̴̺̳̻̍

M̶̧̩̝̹̊o̸̧̟̫̺̱̤̭͈̱͒̀͊̎̌̎̚ͅņ̶͈̙̩̃͑́̀͗̈́̑͝͝i̷̡̨̹̩͇̓̇k̸͙̗̝̹̫͖͇̫͖̬͇̪͈̻̆͆̈́̇͒̌̚̚͘ã̸̡̺̦͖̳͚͓̹̗̺̄̌̏̂͐̑͜͠ͅͅ

Ẅ̷̩̘̹̖̦̫͚͉̯͎̮̙̰͉͆̐͂̎͠ȟ̵͇̬͚̞̲̟̱̩̻̙̭͚̠̣̫̇̄̌̋̈̐͊̄̚͘͝ǒ̸͚̰̮̼͉̟̥̼͖̝͒͝ ̴̩͓̹̠̰̪͚̟̜̏̎̍̐̓͗̔̓͋̉̿͜͠s̶̛̮̫̘͇̹̜̳̥̞̝͌̅̎͋͝͝h̸͎̠͍̐̅̎̽̈́̆̃́̊͠ǒ̶̘̦̆̂͌̽̑̓u̴̡̨͈̩̥̗͔͔̻̭͙̜̤͎̎̇͑̔̽͌̿͜͝l̸̡̢̧̻̫̖̩͕̭͉̳̙̮͙͐̇̑̾͠ͅd̴̫̻̫̲̹̟̘̠ ̵̛͓̙̳͎̬͚̰̰̼̯͉̬͒͂͒̊̀̇̐͐̓̚͝I̵̢̢͔̙̟̝͇̻͆̉͛̇̉̓̔̐̅̂̇̄̚͝ ̶̥͎̃̔̈́͑̆s̵͍̘̙̼̓͒̇͑̀̌̊͝ḩ̶̡̼͈̳̬̱͎̯̔̑̾̈̋͂̓͒͒̉͌̉̚͝ͅo̸̟͈͓̫̫̓̈́̀w̷̛̗͇̗̭̓̽̑ ̸͈̫̦̻̮̺͔͋̔͜m̷̡͍͓̻̱͍̮̫̪͕͕͉̙̪̜̀̓̊͐͊͂y̸̳͇̰͖͇̫̩̅͊̍̋̈́̓̆̅̀͛̽̿̀̕͝ͅ ̸̼͙͎͍̼̈̆̋́̈́̐̍͒̄̚͠͝͝ͅp̸̳̖͔̫̲̙̣͖̦̙̗̂͋̐̓̐ơ̶͙̮͙͚̩̖͚̗̲̱̺̗̦̝͉̅̐͆̒̂̈́̈́̈́͗̕̕͝ể̵͔̗͎̯̙͙͈͇̖̘̬̬͈͠m̴̱̕ ̶̢̫͆̀̑̔͊̐̎͛̒͑͂̏t̴̢̢̝̟͕͈̲̃͛͐͋̎̉͐̂̅͆̑ợ̶̤̰̪̥͚̯̜̤̲̞̳̘͚̈́̑͆̈́̈́̍̐͋̕͘̕̕͠ ̸̡̩̪̩̭̝̪͖̝̗̞̹̲̓̐̾̆̈̋̍̑̑͋͘f̷̳̹͗i̵̲̼̬̝̼̓̾͊͑̏̇̈́ͅŗ̸̛̝͔̭̪̼̪͉̤̮̫̣̤̿̽͂͛̚ͅs̷̖͕̥̳̺̪̦̣͖̹̙̓̒̒̏̄̀̄̆̽͜͠t̵̢̡̧̘͇̞͓͓̤̳̪̯̝͉̔̽̐̆ͅ?̸̡̧̛̮͚͍̈́̉̓͊̀͑̉͆̍͌͝

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Y̵̭̳̬̞̻̬̝͈̯͔͐̿̃̎̌̄̐̈́̐͂̃͠ͅͅu̸̢̡̡͓̜̝̗̞̣̘̳̻͑͐̎̅͜r̴̨͇̤̠͇̃̀̋͑̈́̾̉̑̉̑̋͊̕͝i̴̺̳̻̍

M̶̧̩̝̹̊o̸̧̟̫̺̱̤̭͈̱͒̀͊̎̌̎̚ͅņ̶͈̙̩̃͑́̀͗̈́̑͝͝i̷̡̨̹̩͇̓̇k̸͙̗̝̹̫͖͇̫͖̬͇̪͈̻̆͆̈́̇͒̌̚̚͘ã̸̡̺̦͖̳͚͓̹̗̺̄̌̏̂͐̑͜͠ͅͅ

The next person I show my poem to is Natsuki; as she scans the paper with a critical eye, I can feel my palms starting to sweat a little bit. 

"...This one's alright," Natsuki eventually says. 

"That's good to hear. Was it better or worse than yesterday's poem?"

Natsuki shrugs. "The same, really. I mean, I see what you're going for, but it's just not really my style. I mean, that's fine. I'm mostly glad that you're just trying a little bit."

"Of course I am. Hang on, does this mean you care whether or not I write anything?"

Natsuki startles. "E-Eh? N-No! Gross! It's not like I care! It's just that _one_ of us in this club has to make sure you're not slacking off."

I crack a grin. "Well, what if you end up scaring me away?" I joke. 

Natsuki blushes. "That's um...it's not you would actually do that."

"Yeah, you're right. It's kind of fun to hang out here, even if I have to put up with you."

Natsuki's elbow connects with my stomach.

" _Guh!_ "

"Oh? Maybe I won't mind scaring you away after all," Natsuki snarks. 

"I was...just joking..."

Natsuki snickers. "Don't worry, I was too."

_I wouldn't really call that a joke...that seriously hurt!_

_Well, maybe it was funny to her...I guess that's kind of the point._

"Anyway," Natsuki says, holding out her poem, "here's what I wrote."

_**I'll Be Your Beach** _

_Your mind is so full of troubles and fears_   
_That diminished your wonder over the years_   
_But today I have a special place_   
_A beach for us to go._

_A shore reaching beyond your sight_   
_A sea that sparkles with brilliant light_   
_The walls in your mind will melt away_   
_Before the sunny glow._

_I'll be the beach that washes your worries away_   
_I'll be the beach that you daydream about each day_   
_I'll be the beach that makes your heart leap_   
_In a way you thought had left you long ago._

_Let's bury your heavy thoughts in a pile of sand_   
_Bathe in sunbeams and hold my hand_   
_Wash your insecurities in the salty sea_   
_And let me see you shine._

_Let's leave your memories in a footprint trail_   
_Set you free in my windy sail_   
_And remember the reasons you're wonderful_   
_When you press your lips to mine._

_I'll be the beach that washes your worries away_   
_I'll be the beach that you daydream about each day_   
_I'll be the beach that makes your heart leap_   
_In a way you thought had left you long ago._

_But if you let me by your side_   
_Your own beach, your own escape_   
_You'll learn to love yourself again._

"I felt like I kept writing about negative things, so I wanted to write something with a nice message for once," Natsuki explains. With a grin, she adds, "Besides...the beach is awesome!"

"Kind of hard to write anything negative about the beach," I agree. "Anyway, did you decide to write about the beach first, and come up with the message later?"

Natsuki shrugs. "Yeah, well...it's only because of what happened yesterday. I mean, after Yuri and I realized we kind of wrote about the same thing...she wanted us to pick a topic and have us both write about it, or whatever."

"Sounds like a cool idea. Only wish you could have gotten the rest of the club involved, because I have the perfect idea for a poem about the beach involving-"

"Anyway, can I continue?" Natsuki huffs.

"Sorry."

Natsuki lets out a deep groan. "I bet Yuri just picked a simple topic just to make it all fancy and impress me or something. I mean, I guess mine ended up being metaphorical too...but there's nothing wrong with doing that once in a while! At the very least, it was good practice."

Ẅ̷̩̘̹̖̦̫͚͉̯͎̮̙̰͉͆̐͂̎͠ȟ̵͇̬͚̞̲̟̱̩̻̙̭͚̠̣̫̇̄̌̋̈̐͊̄̚͘͝ǒ̸͚̰̮̼͉̟̥̼͖̝͒͝ ̴̩͓̹̠̰̪͚̟̜̏̎̍̐̓͗̔̓͋̉̿͜͠s̶̛̮̫̘͇̹̜̳̥̞̝͌̅̎͋͝͝h̸͎̠͍̐̅̎̽̈́̆̃́̊͠ǒ̶̘̦̆̂͌̽̑̓u̴̡̨͈̩̥̗͔͔̻̭͙̜̤͎̎̇͑̔̽͌̿͜͝l̸̡̢̧̻̫̖̩͕̭͉̳̙̮͙͐̇̑̾͠ͅd̴̫̻̫̲̹̟̘̠ ̵̛͓̙̳͎̬͚̰̰̼̯͉̬͒͂͒̊̀̇̐͐̓̚͝I̵̢̢͔̙̟̝͇̻͆̉͛̇̉̓̔̐̅̂̇̄̚͝ ̶̥͎̃̔̈́͑̆s̵͍̘̙̼̓͒̇͑̀̌̊͝ḩ̶̡̼͈̳̬̱͎̯̔̑̾̈̋͂̓͒͒̉͌̉̚͝ͅo̸̟͈͓̫̫̓̈́̀w̷̛̗͇̗̭̓̽̑ ̸͈̫̦̻̮̺͔͋̔͜m̷̡͍͓̻̱͍̮̫̪͕͕͉̙̪̜̀̓̊͐͊͂y̸̳͇̰͖͇̫̩̅͊̍̋̈́̓̆̅̀͛̽̿̀̕͝ͅ ̸̼͙͎͍̼̈̆̋́̈́̐̍͒̄̚͠͝͝ͅp̸̳̖͔̫̲̙̣͖̦̙̗̂͋̐̓̐ơ̶͙̮͙͚̩̖͚̗̲̱̺̗̦̝͉̅̐͆̒̂̈́̈́̈́͗̕̕͝ể̵͔̗͎̯̙͙͈͇̖̘̬̬͈͠m̴̱̕ ̶̢̫͆̀̑̔͊̐̎͛̒͑͂̏t̴̢̢̝̟͕͈̲̃͛͐͋̎̉͐̂̅͆̑ợ̶̤̰̪̥͚̯̜̤̲̞̳̘͚̈́̑͆̈́̈́̍̐͋̕͘̕̕͠ ̸̡̩̪̩̭̝̪͖̝̗̞̹̲̓̐̾̆̈̋̍̑̑͋͘f̷̳̹͗i̵̲̼̬̝̼̓̾͊͑̏̇̈́ͅŗ̸̛̝͔̭̪̼̪͉̤̮̫̣̤̿̽͂͛̚ͅs̷̖͕̥̳̺̪̦̣͖̹̙̓̒̒̏̄̀̄̆̽͜͠t̵̢̡̧̘͇̞͓͓̤̳̪̯̝͉̔̽̐̆ͅ?̸̡̧̛̮͚͍̈́̉̓͊̀͑̉͆̍͌͝

Y̵̭̳̬̞̻̬̝͈̯͔͐̿̃̎̌̄̐̈́̐͂̃͠ͅͅu̸̢̡̡͓̜̝̗̞̣̘̳̻͑͐̎̅͜r̴̨͇̤̠͇̃̀̋͑̈́̾̉̑̉̑̋͊̕͝i̴̺̳̻̍

M̶̧̩̝̹̊o̸̧̟̫̺̱̤̭͈̱͒̀͊̎̌̎̚ͅņ̶͈̙̩̃͑́̀͗̈́̑͝͝i̷̡̨̹̩͇̓̇k̸͙̗̝̹̫͖͇̫͖̬͇̪͈̻̆͆̈́̇͒̌̚̚͘ã̸̡̺̦͖̳͚͓̹̗̺̄̌̏̂͐̑͜͠ͅͅ

"Well done, Kaito," Yuri complements, her smile soft and warm. "You've definitely improved your writing over the course of these few days."

With a thoughtful expression, Yuri asks, "Has my advice been helpful to you?"

"You've inspired me to use better vocabulary words when describing things, which is super useful even when I'm not writing poems," I tell her with a grin. "By the way, I'm about halfway through the book you lent me. When the festival's over, I'll probably be finished reading it, so we could...discuss the book? If you still want to do that?"

"...I would love to do that," Yuri says. "And...I'm glad that my advice has been helpful. Sharing our writing like this...it's a lot more fun and rewarding than I anticipated. I need to remember to thank Monika. I think we all felt a little awkward at first...but now it seems like everyone is enjoying sharing their writing and seeing what others think."

"I was afraid this whole thing would be a chore, or that the others would laugh at me," I admit. "But it's been fun getting to know everyone in the club and their writing."

"Well..." Yuri begins, "have you learned anything new about yourself, Kaito?"

I consider the question, but come up with nothing. 

"Eh?"

"Well, you know how I like to say that writing is a very personal way to get in touch with yourself...in the end, it doesn't matter if you're a good writer or a bad writer. And even my opinions are just opinions...you know? As always, I believe what's more important is exploring and discovering yourself."

"...I just don't want to disappoint you in some way or another," I blurt out. 

Yuri startles. "Eh...? Why me...?"

"Well, you're always sophisticated with your writing and have the most advice to share," I compliment. 

"Is that so...?" Yuri stammers.

Yuri thinks for a good minute.

"...That must be terrible," she quietly says. 

"Eh?!"

"For me to have become someone whose opinion is fearsome..."

"Yuri-"

"How unlikable of me..."

"Yuri," I say firmly, "That's not what I meant at all! What I meant was...what I want you to know is that I respect your opinion. You have important things to say, and I'm glad to hear them."

"I see..." Yuri murmurs, looking a little less flustered. "I'm sorry that I always overthink and come to these sorts of conclusions."

"Well, overthinking is better than under-thinking, right?"

"I suppose you could say that. It's just...I'm just a little too used to it."

"Overthinking?"

Yuri shakes her head sadly. "Being disliked."

"Yuri..."

"...What am I saying? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up...Let's move on..."

"Alright...do you want me to read your poem now?"

Yuri nods.

**_Beach_ **

_A marvel millions of years in the making._   
_Where the womb of Earth chaotically meets the surface._   
_Under a clear blue sky, an expanse of bliss -_   
_But beneath gray rolling clouds, an endless enigma._   
_The easiest world to get lost in_   
_is one where everything can be found._   
  
_One can only build a sand castle where the sand is wet._   
_But where the sand is wet, the tide comes._   
_Will it gently lick at your foundations until you give in?_   
_Or will a sudden wave send you crashing down in the blink of an eye?_   
_Either way the outcome is the same._   
_Yet we still build sand castles._   
  
_I stand where the foam wraps around my ankles._   
_Where my toes squish into the sand._   
_The salty air is therapeutic._   
_The breeze is gentle, yet powerful._   
_I sink my toes into the ultimate boundary line, tempted by the foamy tendrils._   
_Turn back, and I abandon my peace to erode at the shore._   
_Drift forward, and I return to Earth forevermore._

Before I can give my opinion, Yuri quickly says, "I'm aware that the beach is kind of an inane thing to write about. But I did my best to take a metaphorical approach to it."

"Yeah, Natsuki already told me about it."

"S-She did...? She didn't say anything weird, did she? She just wanted us to write about the same topic again...I suppose to better compare the differences between our writing styles...or thought processes. Anyway, it was her idea...!"

Yuri lets out a deep sigh. "Knowing her, it's no surprise that she'd want to do something like that. She probably just wants to show off."

"...You know, I don't want to assume anything, but do you think Natsuki was trying to impress you as well? Not that I'm saying you did this to impress her or anything! I just think it was really cool that you guys did something like this, you know? You guys seem very different on the surface...but I think you probably have a lot in common with each other as well."

"...I never thought...well, I suppose it's not so bad to write about something simple on occasion. I can be refreshing, you know? It's good for me to calm my thoughts once in a while."

"Totally. Well, thanks for sharing with me, Yuri."

M̶̧̩̝̹̊o̸̧̟̫̺̱̤̭͈̱͒̀͊̎̌̎̚ͅņ̶͈̙̩̃͑́̀͗̈́̑͝͝i̷̡̨̹̩͇̓̇k̸͙̗̝̹̫͖͇̫͖̬͇̪͈̻̆͆̈́̇͒̌̚̚͘ã̸̡̺̦͖̳͚͓̹̗̺̄̌̏̂͐̑͜͠ͅͅ

"Hi Kaito!"

"Hey Monika."

Monika smiles sweetly at me. "Have you thought about what you want to submit to perform at the festival?"

"...Not yet," I admit sheepishly.

_Being in this club is one thing, but performing in front of a bunch of people..._

"...I'll give it some more thought."

"Okay, no pressure! But whatever you do, I'm sure it will turn out great. It would also make me happy to see."

I can feel myself starting to blush.

"Anyway, let's take a look at today's poem!"

I pass my paper over to Monika. "Here you go."

The poem I wrote last night is pretty short, so it doesn't take very long for Monika to read it.

"It's pretty good," Monika compliments. "It makes me think of Sayori, like the other one you wrote."

"By the way, Sayori told me to tell you that she wasn't feeling well, so she left early."

"Oh? Well, I hope she feels better soon- you probably shouldn't _hang_ around with someone who could be contagious."

"...Huh?"

"Anyway...! I'll share my poem with you now, alright?"

Monika offers me her poem with a sweet smile. 

_**The Lady who Knows Everything** _

_An old tale tells of a lady who wanders Earth._   
_The Lady who Knows Everything._   
_A beautiful lady who has found every answer,_   
_All meaning,_   
_All purpose,_   
_And all that was ever sought._

_And here I am,_

_a feather_

_Lost adrift the sky, victim of the currents of the wind._

_Day after day, I search._   
_I search with little hope, knowing legends don't exist._   
_But when all else has failed me,_   
_When all others have turned away,_   
_The legend is all that remains – the last dim star glimmering in the twilit sky._

_Until one day, the wind ceases to blow._   
_I fall._   
_And I fall and fall, and fall even more._   
_Gentle as a feather._   
_A dry quill, expressionless._

_But a hand catches me, between the thumb and forefinger._   
_The hand of a beautiful lady._   
_I look at her eyes and find no end to her gaze._

_The Lady who Knows Everything knows what I am thinking._   
_Before I can speak, she responds in a hollow voice._   
_"I have found every answer, all of which amount to nothing._   
_There is no meaning._   
_There is no purpose._   
_And we seek only the impossible._   
_I am not your legend._   
_Your legend does not exist."_

_And with a breath, she blows me back afloat, and I pick up a gust of wind._

"You know...I feel like learning and looking for answers are the sorts of things that give life meaning, " Monika comments. "Not to get too philosophical or anything...but it was kind of on my mind, so that's what I wrote about."

"I see..."

"In a way," Monika continues, "it's almost paradoxical. Because if we had all the answers, wouldn't the world start to lose meaning?"

"I guess I never really thought about stuff like that," I lie.

A thought occurs to me.

"You know, there's one thing I've noticed...it seems like everyone in this club prefers writing about things that are more sad than happy."

"Ahaha," Monika giggles. "Are you surprised? I mean, if everything was okay...we wouldn't really have anything to write about, would we? Humans aren't two dimensional creatures. I'd think you'd know that better than anyone."

"Yeah, that makes...wait, don't you mean, one-dimensional?"

"Ah...yeah, that!" Monika quickly corrects herself. "Anyway...here's Monika's Writing Tip of the Day!" Gently clearing her throat, Monika says, "Are you ever too shy to share your writing because you're afraid it's not that good? It can be really disheartening to get a lukewarm response to something you put so much into. But if you find other people who enjoy writing, then sharing becomes a lot easier!"

Monika smiles sweetly. "Because instead of just telling you that your writing is good, or okay, or bad...they'll want to focus more on everything that went into it, and the things you can work on. It's much more encouraging that way, and it will make you want to continue improving. It's almost like having your own little Literature Club, don't you think? Anyway...that's my advice for today! Thanks for listening!"

***Save**

"...Okay, you three!" Monika says, clapping her hands once to get everyone's attention. "We're all done sharing poems, right? Why don't we start figuring out-"

"Hold on a second!" Natsuki interrupts. "Is it just me, or did you say something strange just now?"

"Eh..?"

"Something did sound a bit unusual," Yuri agrees. 

A look of realization crosses her face. "That's right," Yuri says decisively, "you deviated from your usual catchphrase when addressing the club."

Monika startles. "C-Catchphrase? I don't have a catchphrase..."

"Until now, at the end of each club meeting, you would usually say, 'Okay everyone!'" I comment. "Not that it really matters or anything..."

"Jeez..." Natsuki scoffs. "Why is the mood so weird today? Look, even Yuri isn't immune to it."

Yuri looks away from us all, her face flushing. "Uu...stagnating air is common foreshadowing that something terrible is about to happen..."

A shiver runs down my spine.

"Well," I say in my most confident voice, "that's only in books. Look, the only thing different is that Sayori isn't here."

"Ah...it seems you're right," Yuri murmurs. 

Monika sighs. "Sayori always helps lighten the mood a little bit, doesn't she? It's almost like everyone's balance is thrown off a little when she's not around..." 

Natsuki raises an eyebrow. "Where the heck did she run off to, anyway? I thought she just went to pee."

Yuri's nose briefly wrinkles in disgust. "Natsuki, please show some decency..."

"Oh, come on," Natsuki scoffs. "You were thinking the same thing, weren't you?"

"Ah, she actually wasn't feeling too well and went home early," I explain. 

"Is that so...?" Yuri asks. "I hope she's alright..."

"Seriously?" Natsuki huffs. "Of all the times to not go with her, you pick the time she's not feeling well? So much for you two being all lovely-dovey."

"Ah-no! We're just friends! And, well...she's kind of been avoiding me today. I offered to walk her home, but she said no, and I didn't want to force it..."

Yuri looks oddly curious.

"Calm down guys...!" Monika says reassuringly, "I talked to her earlier, and everything is fine." 

"What did she-"

"Anyway!" Monika interrupts me. "Anyway, we need to figure out the rest of the festival preparations, so..."

Reluctantly, I try and push my worries to the side and focus on what Monika's saying.

"Let's decide what everyone will be doing this weekend," Monika says.

Natsuki puffs up proudly. "I already know what _I'm_ doing!"

"That's right," Monika says with a smile. "Natsuki will be making cupcakes. But we might need a lot of them, and different flavors...can you handle that all by yourself, Natsuki?"

"Challenge accepted!" Natsuki beams. 

"And as for myself...I'm going to be printing and assembling all the poetry pamphlets. Sayori will be helping me design them. And as for Yuri..."

Monika trails off, clearly trying to think of a way Yuri can contribute.

"Yuri, you can...ah...um...guys, can you help me come up with something for Yuri...?"

"I..." Yuri mumbles, looking down at her shoes. "I'm useless..." 

"N-No!" Monika gasps. "No! That's not it at all! You're the most talented person here, you know?"

Natsuki's expression turns sour. 

"I think I made everything worse," Monika despairs. 

"...It's hard when Sayori's not around, isn't it? She always seems to know the right thing to say or do."

"Ah...that may be the case," Monika admits. "But if I can't also be a leader on my own, then I won't grow as a person."

Monika straightens up, her gaze now determined. "So, Yuri...! You have beautiful handwriting, you know? So you should make some banners and decorations to set up the atmosphere."

"Atmosphere...?" Yuri ponders. "Um, about that..." 

Taking a deep breath, she blurts out, "I love atmosphere!"

Yuri's expression suddenly changes as she stares at her desk in focus and starts nodding to herself.

"Your mind is already racing," I comment. 

"That's great!" Monika says cheerfully. "You'll be a wonderful help, Yuri. But anyway...that just leaves you, Kaito."

"The one who is truly useless," I joke. 

"Ahahaha! Don't say that. In fact..."

***Save**


End file.
